Fast buses aid Beijing’s bid to reduce heavy traffic
Print Edition
TWO bus rapid transit lines connecting Beijing with neighboring Hebei Province have been launched as part of the capital’s efforts to ease traffic congestion.
The lines will operate at rush hours on weekdays between Dachang County in Hebei, and Beijing’s Lucheng and Dajiaoting East subway stations, the capital’s public transport commission said.
With more railway lines and buses now extending to the province, commuters from Beijing’s surrounding regions will have easier access to the city and pressure on traffic will be reduced, a commission official said.
Figures released last month showed that the daily traffic index in Beijing was down from 5.7 in 2015 to 5.6 last year, indicating less traffic congestion. The traffic index ranges from 0 to 10, with the number increasing as congestion gets worse.
A report released by Chinese navigation service provider AutoNavi indicates that Beijing is no longer the country’s most congested city.
The report, issued in January, said Jinan in Shandong Province and Harbin in Heilongjiang Province had the worst traffic among 60 Chinese cities surveyed in 2016.
Public transport facilities, such as bicycles, subways and buses, are believed to contribute to Beijing’s improved traffic.
By last year, the total length of subways in Beijing had reached 574 kilometers, and that will increase to 900 by 2020, according to the city’s plans.
Also planned are eight suburban railway lines designed to reach Hebei.
“Railway traffic has laid the foundations for balanced regional development, which will bring benefits for Beijing’s neighboring area,” said Zhao Hong, deputy head of Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
The length of bus lanes in the city increased to 841 kilometers in 2016, helping attract commuters.
Up to 31,000 public bicycles were added last year, bringing the number of public bicycles in the city to 81,000.
Beijing is also exploring reducing traffic congestion by clearing space and relocating populations to surrounding areas.
To date, more than 1,300 manufacturing companies have been shut down, freeing up more than 7 million square meters of city land for new uses.
Guo Jifu, director of the Beijing transport research center, called for joint efforts from land resources and transport authorities to improve urban planning.
“An urban plan has to take the city’s transport capacity into consideration. Transport department must have a say in approving new building projects,” he said.
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